Tips to Vote from Abroad

Posted on October 11, 2016

To all my Americans in Paris or Expats in other parts of the world. We are living it up abroad but we still gotta look out for the best interest of our country! The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) puts the number of Americans living abroad at around 5.7 million. Thats a whole lot of people, and we got a whole lot of power to make a difference in this year’s election.I’m not going to go off on a political rant, but…If you haven’t already, make sure to request your absentee ballot to VOTE VOTE VOTE from abroad!

The deadline is soon approaching for many states to request your ballot! This year the process is really simple some states even have electronic voting. For all the information you need to request your ballot check out Vote from Abroad!

Already requested your ballot, now what?

If you already requested your ballot, you should probably receive it in the mail any day now. I just got mine last week! The deadline your ballot needs to post-marked varies by state so make sure to check out the list of deadlines here.

What to do if you already requested a ballot and haven’t received it in time?

There is a last resort option which is the “Federal write-in absentee ballot”(FWAB), it is basically an emergency -Print-Mail Ballot System. You still have to respect the deadlines that your vote needs to be post-marked (some states you can fax it).

What to do if the deadline in your state has already passed to request a ballot?

Where there is a will there is a way! If you don’t have your ballot in time to send it in before Nov 8th. If you need extra help, you can contact the Parisian Voter Registration guru Louise Meyers by clicking HERE. Or visit Louise live and in person every Thursday at Coffee Parsien (4 rue Princesse, 75005).

Are there any events in Paris for election day Nov 8th?

Heck yea! The US embassy is hosting an event in partnership with the Mairie 3eme at Carreau de Temple called La Nuit Americane. You will be able to watch the polls in direct ( in the early hours for us) and there will be tons of American themed food and activities.

Democrats Abroad will also host an Election night viewing in Paris and other cities around the world.